JPH10213718A - Structure and connection method of optical waveguide circuit and optical fiber block - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To obtain an inexpensive and highly reliable optical waveguide circuit module capable of reducing polishing and connection man-hours. SOLUTION: A light incidence port 22A and a light outgoing port 22B on an optical waveguide circuit pattern 22 formed on an optical waveguide circuit 20 are arranged on the same end face 20A. The light incidence port 7a and light outgoing port 8A of an optical fiber block 28 are fixedly arranged on the same end face 28A at the same interval as the interval of the ports 22A, 22B of the circuit 20.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a structure and a connection method of an optical waveguide circuit and an optical fiber block.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the structure of a conventional 1.times.8 optical branching optical waveguide circuit module. In this optical waveguide circuit module, a core layer of an optical waveguide circuit pattern 3 for branching / coupling is formed on a cladding layer 2 and a glass layer is formed on a surface of the cladding layer 2 on which the core layer of the optical waveguide circuit pattern 3 is formed. An optical waveguide circuit 1 on which a plate 4 is adhered, an optical fiber block 5 connected to one light incident end face 1A of one of the opposite end faces of the side face of the optical waveguide circuit 1, and an optical fiber block 5 connected to the other light output end face 1B. And an optical fiber block 6.

[0003] A single optical fiber 7 from which the coating at the tip is removed is fixed to the optical fiber block 5 with its tip aligned with the light incident end face 5 A of the optical fiber block 5. Eight optical fibers 81 to 88 from which the coatings at the distal ends have been removed are fixed to the optical block 6 in such a manner that the respective distal ends are aligned with the light emitting end faces 6A of the optical fiber block 6.

In connection between the optical fiber block 5 and the optical waveguide circuit 1, an optical axis is aligned between the light incident port 7A at the tip of the optical fiber 7 and the light incident port 3A of the optical waveguide circuit 1. Further, in connection with the optical fiber block 6 and the optical waveguide circuit 1, the optical axis together with the light exit port 3B of the optical output port 8A and the optical waveguide circuit 1 of the tip portion of the optical fiber 8 _{1-8 8} Done. The structure of the optical waveguide circuit 1 and the optical fiber blocks 5 and 6 is disclosed in, for example, JP-A-8-110428.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the structure of a conventional optical waveguide circuit module for 8 × 8 optical demultiplexing. In this optical waveguide circuit module, the core layer of the optical waveguide circuit pattern 12 for demultiplexing / combining is formed on the cladding layer 11 and the surface of the cladding layer 11 on which the core layer of the optical waveguide circuit pattern 12 is formed. A light guide circuit 10 in which a glass plate 13 is adhered to the light guide circuit 10, an optical fiber block 14 connected to one light incident end face 10A of two opposing end faces of the side face of the light guide circuit 10, and the other light output end face 10B And an optical fiber block 15 connected to the optical fiber block.

[0006] the optical fiber block 14, the optical fiber 16 ₁ to 16 ₈ of 8 to cover the tip portion has been removed,
Each tip is a light incident end face 14 of the optical fiber block 14.
It is fixed in a state where it is matched with A. Light block 15
, The eight optical fibers 1 with the coating on the tip removed.
7 _{1-17 8,} the optical fiber block 15 the distal end of each
Is fixed in a state of being aligned with the light emitting end face 15A.

Optical fiber block 14 and optical waveguide circuit 10
In connection with the, optical axis alignment is performed between the optical input port 12A of the optical input port 16A and the optical waveguide circuit 10 at the tip portion of the optical fiber 16 ₁ to 16 _8. Further, in connection with the optical fiber block 15 and the optical waveguide circuit 10, the optical axis together with the light exit port 12B of the optical output port 17A and the optical waveguide circuit 10 at the tip portion of the optical fiber 17 ₁ to 17 ₈ Done. In addition, the optical waveguide circuit 1 for optical demultiplexing
The value of 0 is also disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 7-333447.

[0008]

The conventional optical waveguide circuit described above has a structure in which a light input port and a light output port are formed on opposing end faces.
Since at least two optical fiber blocks are required, the number of polishing steps and the number of connecting steps are increased, which makes it difficult to provide an inexpensive optical waveguide circuit module. In addition, since the number of connection steps is increased, there is a possibility that the reliability may be reduced due to an optical axis shift between the optical waveguide circuit and the optical fiber block.

For example, in the optical waveguide circuit 1, the light incident end face 1A and the light emitting end face 1B of the optical waveguide circuit 1, the light incident end face 5A of the optical fiber block 5, and the light emitting end face 6A of the optical fiber block 6 respectively. It is necessary to polish each of the four end faces. When connecting the optical waveguide circuit 1 to the optical fiber blocks 5 and 6,
The optical axes are aligned at two positions: a light incident port 3A on the optical waveguide circuit 1 side, a light incident port 7A on the optical fiber block 5 side, and a light exit port 3B on the optical waveguide circuit 1 side and a light exit port 8A on the optical fiber block 6 side. Need to be done.

The present invention has been made in view of the above situation,
An object of the present invention is to provide a structure and a connection method of an optical waveguide circuit and an optical fiber block, which can reduce the polishing man-hour and the connection man-hour and can obtain an inexpensive and highly reliable optical waveguide circuit module. It is.

[0011]

To achieve the above object, an optical waveguide circuit and an optical fiber block according to the present invention have a structure in which a core layer of an optical waveguide circuit pattern is formed on a plate-like cladding layer. A circuit and a structure of an optical fiber block for connecting an optical fiber for a light input port and a light output port to the optical waveguide circuit pattern, wherein the optical waveguide circuit includes a light input port and a light output port of the optical waveguide circuit pattern. A port is formed on the same end surface of a side surface of the cladding layer, and the optical fiber block connects the optical fibers for the light input port and the light output port to the light input port and the light output port of the light guide circuit pattern of the light guide circuit. Are fixedly arranged at the same intervals as the arrangement intervals.

Alternatively, in order to achieve the above object, the structure of the optical waveguide circuit and the optical fiber block according to the present invention comprises an optical waveguide circuit in which a core layer of an optical waveguide circuit pattern is formed on a plate-like cladding layer. An optical fiber block structure for connecting an optical fiber for an optical input port and an optical output port to an optical waveguide circuit pattern, wherein the optical waveguide circuit comprises a cladding layer having an optical input port and an optical output port of the optical waveguide circuit pattern. And at least one core layer of the alignment optical waveguide circuit pattern has one end positioned on the end face of the cladding layer where the light incident port and the light exit port are arranged. The optical fiber has a structure in which the other end is located on another surface of the cladding layer other than the end surface on which the light input port and the light output port are arranged, and the optical fiber The lock connects the optical fiber for the light input port and the light output port and at least one alignment optical fiber to the light input port, the light output port and the alignment for the optical waveguide circuit pattern of the optical waveguide circuit. The optical waveguide circuit pattern is fixedly arranged at the same interval as the arrangement interval of the one end. Structure.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for connecting an optical waveguide circuit and an optical fiber block, wherein light is transmitted from the other end of the alignment optical waveguide circuit pattern of the optical waveguide circuit. Incident, and the optical axis of the alignment optical waveguide circuit pattern and the alignment optical fiber is aligned at a position where the light propagates most to the alignment optical fiber of the optical fiber block. is there.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, since only two polishing processes are required, one end face on the optical waveguide circuit side and one end face of one optical fiber block, the number of polishing steps can be reduced. Also, since only the optical waveguide circuit is connected to one optical fiber block, the number of connection steps can be reduced at the same time. Further, by adopting the structure described in claim 2, the optical axis alignment between the light input port of the optical waveguide circuit and the optical fiber for light input, and the light output port of the optical waveguide circuit and the optical fiber for light output are provided. Can be performed with high accuracy and in a short time.

[0015]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Preferred embodiments of the structure of an optical waveguide circuit and an optical fiber block according to the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of the structure of the optical waveguide circuit and the optical fiber block according to the present invention. The optical waveguide circuit 20 includes a light input port 22A and a light output port 2 of the optical waveguide circuit pattern 22 for branching / coupling.
2B is disposed on the same end face 20A on the side face of the cladding layer 21, and has a structure in which core layers of two optical waveguide circuit patterns for alignment 24 and 25 are formed on both sides of the optical waveguide circuit pattern 22. Each of the alignment optical waveguide circuit patterns 24 and 25 has one end formed on an end face 20A of the optical waveguide circuit 20 and the other end formed on an end face 20B facing the end face 20A of the optical waveguide circuit 20. . The alignment optical waveguide circuit patterns 24 and 25 are used when connecting the optical waveguide circuit 20 and an optical fiber block 28 described later. This connection is described below.

The optical fiber block 28 has a light input 1
Optical fibers 7 and eight optical fibers 8 ₁ to 8 for emitting light.
8 _8, is fixed arranged at the same interval as the light incident port 22A and the light emitting port 22B of the optical waveguide circuit 20, these optical fibers 7, the fiber 8 _{1-8 8} both sides alignment for optical form sandwiching the It has a structure in which the fibers 30 and 31 are fixedly arranged. Coating of the optical fibers 7 and 8 _{1-8 8,} 30 and 31 the tip portion of each of has been removed. When the optical fiber block 28 is connected to the above-described optical waveguide circuit 20, the optical fibers 30 and 31 for alignment are connected to a light receiving amount measuring device (not shown). The received light amount measuring device measures and displays the amount of light incident on the optical fibers 30 and 31 for alignment.

Next, a method of connecting the optical waveguide circuit 20 and the optical fiber block 28 will be described. In the connection between the optical waveguide circuit 20 and the optical fiber block 28,
In a state where light is incident on each of the alignment optical waveguide circuit patterns 24 and 25 from the end face 20B side of the optical waveguide circuit 20, the end face 20A of the optical waveguide circuit 20 and the end face 28A of the optical fiber block 28 are aligned and adjusted. The optical waveguide circuit 20 and the optical fiber block 2 are positioned at the position where the amount of received light is maximized while observing the measurement result of the received light amount measuring device to which the core optical fibers 30 and 31 are connected.
The optical axis is adjusted between the optical axis 8 and the optical axis 8.

As described above, the structure of the optical waveguide circuit 20 is
The optical waveguide circuit pattern 22 has a structure in which the light incident port 22A and the light exit port 22B are arranged on the same end face 20A on the side surface. By employing a structure that is fixedly arranged at the same interval as the interval between the light input port 22A and the light output port 22, the polishing process is performed only on the end face 20A of the optical waveguide circuit 20 and the end face 28A of the optical fiber block 28, and the connection is made. Requires only the optical waveguide circuit 20 and the optical fiber block 28. Therefore, the number of polishing steps and the number of connection steps can be reduced as compared with the conventional one, so that an inexpensive optical waveguide circuit module can be provided. The optical waveguide circuit 20 and the optical fiber block 2
In connection with the optical fiber 8, the alignment of the optical axis only needs to be performed at one point between the end face 20A of the optical waveguide circuit 20 and the end face 28A of the optical fiber block 28. Can be suppressed.

In the above embodiment, the optical waveguide circuit 2
The two optical waveguide circuit patterns 24 and 25 for alignment are provided on both sides of the optical waveguide circuit pattern No. 0, and the optical fibers 30 and 31 are provided for the optical fiber block 28 to align the optical waveguide circuit 20. Light is made incident on each of the optical waveguide circuit patterns 24 and 25, and these lights are received by the alignment optical fibers 30 and 31 of the optical fiber block 28. The optical axis alignment between 22A and the light input port 7A of the optical fiber block 28 and the optical axis alignment between the light output port 22B of the optical waveguide circuit 20 and the light output port 8A of the optical fiber block 28 can be performed with high accuracy. It can be done in a short time.

In the above embodiment, the optical waveguide circuit 2
Although the optical waveguide circuit pattern 22 for branching / coupling is formed as 0, it is not limited to the optical waveguide circuit pattern for branching / coupling. For example, as shown in FIG. The pattern 42 may be formed. In this case, it goes without saying that the optical fiber block 48 has a shape conforming to the optical waveguide circuit pattern 42 as shown in FIG. Also, the names of the respective parts are as shown in the figure.

[0021]

According to the present invention, the number of polishing steps and the number of connection steps can be reduced as compared with the prior art, so that an inexpensive optical waveguide circuit module can be provided. Further, in the connection between the optical waveguide circuit and the optical fiber block, the optical axis needs to be aligned only at one point between the light input / output port on the optical waveguide circuit side and the light input / output port on the optical fiber block side. A decrease in reliability due to optical axis deviation can be minimized. Furthermore, the optical axis alignment between the light entrance port of the optical waveguide circuit and the optical fiber for light entrance and the optical axis alignment between the light exit port of the optical waveguide circuit and the optical fiber for light exit can be performed with high precision and short distance. Can be done in time.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of a structure of an optical waveguide circuit and an optical fiber block according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an application example of an embodiment of the structure of the optical waveguide circuit and the optical fiber block according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a structure of a conventional optical waveguide circuit and an optical fiber block.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the structure of another conventional optical waveguide circuit and optical fiber block.

[Explanation of symbols]

7, 8 ₁ to 8 ₈ , 16 _{1 to} 16 ₈ , 17 _{1 to} 17 ₈ Optical fiber 20, 40 Optical waveguide circuit 20A, 40A End face 21, 41 Cladding layer 22, 42 Optical waveguide circuit pattern 7A, 16A, 22A, 42A Light entrance port 8A, 17A, 22B, 42B Light exit port 28 Optical fiber block 50, 51 Optical fiber for alignment 24, 25, 44, 45 Optical waveguide circuit pattern for alignment

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. An optical waveguide circuit having a core layer of an optical waveguide circuit pattern formed on a plate-shaped cladding layer, and an optical fiber for connecting an optical fiber for a light input port and a light output port to the optical waveguide circuit pattern. A block structure, wherein the optical waveguide circuit has a light incident port and a light exit port of an optical waveguide circuit pattern formed on the same end face of a side surface of a clad layer, and the optical fiber block has a light incident port and a light exit port. A structure of an optical waveguide circuit and an optical fiber block, wherein an optical fiber for an output port is fixedly arranged at the same interval as an arrangement interval of a light incident port and a light output port of an optical waveguide circuit pattern of the optical waveguide circuit. 2. An optical waveguide circuit in which a core layer of an optical waveguide circuit pattern is formed on a plate-shaped cladding layer, and an optical fiber for connecting an optical fiber for a light input port and a light output port to the optical waveguide circuit pattern. A block structure, wherein the optical waveguide circuit has a light incident port and a light exit port of an optical waveguide circuit pattern formed on the same end face of a side surface of a cladding layer, and at least one alignment optical waveguide circuit pattern. One end of the core layer is located at the end face of the cladding layer where the light incident port and the light exit port are arranged, and the other end is excluding the end face of the cladding layer where the light entrance port and the light exit port are arranged. The optical fiber block has a structure formed by being positioned on another surface, and the optical fiber block includes at least one optical fiber for the light input port and the light output port and at least one alignment fiber. The optical waveguide, wherein the fiber is fixedly arranged at the same interval as the arrangement interval of the light input port and the light output port of the optical waveguide circuit pattern of the optical waveguide circuit and the one end of the alignment optical waveguide circuit pattern. Circuit and structure of optical fiber block. 3. An optical waveguide circuit according to claim 2, wherein light is incident from the other end of the optical waveguide circuit pattern for alignment, and the light is transmitted to a position where the light propagates most to the optical fiber for alignment of the optical fiber block. A method for connecting an optical waveguide circuit and an optical fiber block, wherein an optical axis of the alignment optical waveguide circuit pattern and the alignment optical fiber is aligned.